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911 calls released in Tuesday incident

Published: Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 3:40 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 4:32 p.m.

Video released Wednesday by the Wilmington Police Department shows officers dragging a suspect in a credit union incident face down from an SUV, then stomping on his buttocks until he put his hands behind his back.

Police Chief Ralph Evangelous said Wednesday the officers were justified in using force to subdue the suspect because they thought they were dealing with a bank robbery.

Roy Augusta Smith II, the man police arrested Tuesday, has a history of pulling a pistol on officers.

Smith has two convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, according to court records. In 2005, Smith was shot by Wilmington police after he pulled a .45-caliber pistol on an officer. He pulled a gun on another officer in 1999, Evangelous said.

“This is a bad guy,” he said.

Smith and Shanita Wynette Reid walked into the State Employees Credit Union, 3500 Converse Drive, shortly after 1 p.m. Smith allegedly approached a teller, extending his hand, police spokeswoman Lucy Crockett said. The teller didn't respond and the man grabbed a dollar and change from a woman at a counter, the release said.

Credit union employees triggered a panic alarm and the bank went into lockdown after the man left, Crockett said.

The call came in as a harassment call, according to a 911 tape released Wednesday. One of the employees said Smith, after he allegedly took the money from a child inside the bank, stayed in the parking lot and harassed customers in the drive-through and ran up to people's cars in the lot. The almost-nine-minute call offers a glimpse of Smith's erratic behavior Tuesday at the bank.

“He is walking up to them and threatening them,” the employee said as she watched Smith from the bank. “He walked up to one of the members at the coin sorter and grabbed the money and ran into the parking lot... Please hurry.”

The call ends when police arrive.

“The police have their guns drawn on them,” the employee said.

The suspect's vehicle was stopped by police on Independence Boulevard.

“We thought it was a bank robbery,” Evangelous said. “We didn't know if these people were armed or not. We were under the assumption he is armed. We're going to make that assumption until we can negate that fact.”

Footage released by the police Wednesday shows officers surrounding the truck driven by Reid.

“Just be advised, the passenger is not complying,” one of the police officers said over the radio.

Later, the police report said, Smith and Reid refused to come out of the truck. After a few minutes, a police officer dressed in jeans and a T-shirt smashed the truck window with an extendable metal baton.

Once Smith opens the door, the officers yell at him to get on the ground before dragging him away from the truck by his leg. Cpl. Kevin Smith, a police spokesman, said officers needed to get Smith away from the truck where weapons could be stored. Cpl. Smith narrates the video released by the police.

After dragging Smith away from the truck, officers ordered him to put his hands behind his back. When the suspect failed to do it promptly, the officer in the jeans stomped twice on the suspect's buttocks.

“The officer did give him a little boot in his butt a couple of times and he finally pulled his hands out from under him,” Evangelous said. “Had this guy shown his hands and shown he wasn't armed then it wouldn't have been a problem.”

Video aired by WECT-TV appeared to show an officer kicking a person on the ground after the suspect's car was stopped.

Evangelous reviewed WECT-TV's footage and the footage from the police cruiser.

“Based on the totality of the circumstances, we used a reasonable amount of force,” Evangelous said. “It was reasonable based on what we knew. I am not going to overly criticize our guys for trying to protect themselves.”

Smith was charged with larceny and is in New Hanover County jail, where he was held in lieu of $10,000 bond. Reid was charged with resist/obstruct and delay. She posted bond Tuesday and was released.

Both Smith and Reid have criminal records. Smith also was convicted of various drug charges, DWI and possession of a firearm starting in 1999. Reid also has several drug possession convictions and a larceny conviction in 2006.

During the incident, a Wilmington Police Department officer was also involved in a crash.

Officer Stephen Griffith, a seven-year veteran of the police department, turned in front of a white Jeep Liberty on Independence and the two cars collided.

No one was injured in the crash.

An investigation is ongoing, but Crockett said in news release Tuesday that Griffith's tan unmarked Dodge Stratus did not have “adequate emergency lights” making it hard for the Jeep Liberty's driver to identify it as a police car.

<p>Video released Wednesday by the Wilmington Police Department shows officers dragging a suspect in a credit union incident face down from an SUV, then stomping on his buttocks until he put his hands behind his back.</p><p>Police Chief <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic9935"><b>Ralph Evangelous</b></a> said Wednesday the officers were justified in using force to subdue the suspect because they thought they were dealing with a bank robbery.</p><p>Roy Augusta Smith II, the man police arrested Tuesday, has a history of pulling a pistol on officers.</p><p>Smith has two convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, according to court records. In 2005, Smith was shot by Wilmington police after he pulled a .45-caliber pistol on an officer. He pulled a gun on another officer in 1999, Evangelous said.</p><p>“This is a bad guy,” he said. </p><p>Smith and Shanita Wynette Reid walked into the State Employees Credit Union, 3500 Converse Drive, shortly after 1 p.m. Smith allegedly approached a teller, extending his hand, police spokeswoman Lucy Crockett said. The teller didn't respond and the man grabbed a dollar and change from a woman at a counter, the release said.</p><p>Credit union employees triggered a panic alarm and the bank went into lockdown after the man left, Crockett said. </p><p>The call came in as a harassment call, according to a 911 tape released Wednesday. One of the employees said Smith, after he allegedly took the money from a child inside the bank, stayed in the parking lot and harassed customers in the drive-through and ran up to people's cars in the lot. The almost-nine-minute call offers a glimpse of Smith's erratic behavior Tuesday at the bank.</p><p>“He is walking up to them and threatening them,” the employee said as she watched Smith from the bank. “He walked up to one of the members at the coin sorter and grabbed the money and ran into the parking lot... Please hurry.”</p><p>The call ends when police arrive.</p><p>“The police have their guns drawn on them,” the employee said.</p><p>The suspect's vehicle was stopped by police on Independence Boulevard.</p><p>“We thought it was a bank robbery,” Evangelous said. “We didn't know if these people were armed or not. We were under the assumption he is armed. We're going to make that assumption until we can negate that fact.”</p><p>Footage released by the police Wednesday shows officers surrounding the truck driven by Reid.</p><p>“Just be advised, the passenger is not complying,” one of the police officers said over the radio.</p><p>Later, the police report said, Smith and Reid refused to come out of the truck. After a few minutes, a police officer dressed in jeans and a T-shirt smashed the truck window with an extendable metal baton.</p><p>Once Smith opens the door, the officers yell at him to get on the ground before dragging him away from the truck by his leg. Cpl. Kevin Smith, a police spokesman, said officers needed to get Smith away from the truck where weapons could be stored. Cpl. Smith narrates the video released by the police.</p><p>After dragging Smith away from the truck, officers ordered him to put his hands behind his back. When the suspect failed to do it promptly, the officer in the jeans stomped twice on the suspect's buttocks. </p><p>“The officer did give him a little boot in his butt a couple of times and he finally pulled his hands out from under him,” Evangelous said. “Had this guy shown his hands and shown he wasn't armed then it wouldn't have been a problem.”</p><p>Video aired by WECT-TV appeared to show an officer kicking a person on the ground after the suspect's car was stopped.</p><p>Evangelous reviewed WECT-TV's footage and the footage from the police cruiser.</p><p>“Based on the totality of the circumstances, we used a reasonable amount of force,” Evangelous said. “It was reasonable based on what we knew. I am not going to overly criticize our guys for trying to protect themselves.”</p><p>Smith was charged with larceny and is in New Hanover County jail, where he was held in lieu of $10,000 bond. Reid was charged with resist/obstruct and delay. She posted bond Tuesday and was released.</p><p>Both Smith and Reid have criminal records. Smith also was convicted of various drug charges, DWI and possession of a firearm starting in 1999. Reid also has several drug possession convictions and a larceny conviction in 2006.</p><p>During the incident, a Wilmington Police Department officer was also involved in a crash. </p><p>Officer Stephen Griffith, a seven-year veteran of the police department, turned in front of a white Jeep Liberty on Independence and the two cars collided. </p><p>No one was injured in the crash. </p><p>An investigation is ongoing, but Crockett said in news release Tuesday that Griffith's tan unmarked Dodge Stratus did not have “adequate emergency lights” making it hard for the Jeep Liberty's driver to identify it as a police car.</p><p>Kevin Maurer: 343-2339</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @StarNewsKevin</p>